“Cuban player Adonis Garcia has offers from the Yankees and Athletics, according to Jorge Ebro of El Nuevo Herald. The A’s would be willing to offer close to $18MM over six years, while the Yankees would offer $16MM, Ebro writes. Garcia could decide on a team by next week.”

The A’s of course signed Yoenis Cespedes – who is expected to join the club this weekend in Phoenix – a few weeks ago and this particular Cuban import is a utility player who has played third base. While it appears that these offers likely precede the injury to Sizemore – Garcia became a free-agent on February 9th – the needs that Oakland has now are different and while before there were numerous spots where he could potentially slot in now there is a gaping hole on the left-side of the infield that could accommodate the 26 year old.Juan Dominguez at ProRumors.comhad this to say about Garcia,

“He’s not a fast guy, but he won’t be the slowest guy on the team. Offensively he has the tools to become an above average Major League hitter. He is a pure hitter who makes a lot of contact and has quick hands that allows him to drive the ball to the gaps. He has great bat speed, so it seems like the ball jumps off his bat when he hits. If you analyze his swing you could see how he uses his small muscles (wrists, forearms) to trigger his bigger muscles (biceps, hips). He also has raw power, so he can deliver the long ball every once in a while. If developed correctly, he could be a 15-20 HR’s hitter in the Majors. His downside offensively is his plate discipline. He rarely takes a walk, and he is not the kind of hitter who will wear down a pitcher.”

Not sure that based upon that assessment he is someone I necessarily would prioritize, but at six years for $18M it would not take much for him to make that contract worthwhile. One has to wonder on the psychological side of things if having Garcia be there for Cespedes and vice-versa could be a benefit to both players. Regardless, the offer appears on the table and Garcia may decide Oakland gives him a faster route to the pros than do the Yankees. It’ll be interesting to see if come the end of next week we have yet another Cuban defector on the A’s squad and if so, how does that affect Josh Donaldson‘s quest to win a roster spot starting at third.